Turn-out for sto re-service tracks



(No Model.)

' W. H. & F. L. WIGGIN.

TURN-OUT FOR STORE SERVIGE TRACKS.

No. 310,765. Patented JanQ13, 1885.

Unmnn STATES PATENT @rrinn.

\VILLIAM W'IGGIN AND FRANK L. WVIGGIN, OF LOVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

TURN-=OUT FOR STORE-SERVICE TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,765, dated January 13, 1885.

Application filed December 6, 1584.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. Wre- GIN and FRANK L. WIGGIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlescx and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TurnOuts for Store-Service Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of storeservice apparatus in which the carriers travel upon tracksfcoinposed of parallel rails; and our invention consists in means, fully described hereinafter, whereby to secure a practically continuous track whether the carriers travel upon the main rail or from the latter to the branch, one of the tracks being at all times unbroken.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the turn-out of a store-servicerail- Way, illustrating our invention. Fig. 2 is the same, showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 1 2, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

A A A are the rails of the main track of a store-service apparatus, and B B are the rails of the turn-out or branch track, the rail B constituting a continuation of the rail A, as usual, and the rails A B meeting to form the ordinary point, on.

The branch track, instead of being open at the point where it merges with the main track, is barred by the supplemental rail A which constitutes in fact a part of the main track, which is therefore continuous or unbroken, so that balls or other carriers will not,under ordinary circumstances, be deflected from the said main track, and the branch track will be closed. A second supplemental rail, B arranged to form a continuation of the turn-out track between the point 00 and the rail A of the main track, is pivoted by a pin, a, to the inside of the rail A, and is counterweighted, (or acted upon by a spring, 1 Fig. 1,) so that it will tend to rise at the end nearest the point x, with. its edge 2 slightly above that of the rail A, the said rail, B having a notch, t, beneath the rail A as shown. By this atrangement of rails the adjustment of the rail 13 may be the means of causing the carriers to travel upon either the main track or to pass therefrom to the branch. Thus, when the rail (No model.)

B is lowered, as shown in Fig. 1, the carriers will find their bearing upon the rail A, and

will continue upon the main track; but when t by their weight. the adjustment or proportion of the weight XV upon the rail B or the tension of the spring y, may be made the means of automatically directing the carriers. Thus, where the carriers are sufficiently heavy they will bear upon and depress the rail B", and will thus be brought in contact with the rail A", which will cause them to be brought upon the main track; but when the carriers are light the rail B will maintain its elevated po sition, and the carriers will be deflected thereby to the siding or branch. WVhen the carriers are graduated according to their size. suitable appliances should be employed whereby the rail B is automatically adjusted. Thus two jointed arms, I) 0, may be interposed between the rail B and a bracket or bearing, D, the arm I) being jointed to the rail B and the arm 0 being jointed to the bracket, as shown.

To the middle joint, 1), is connected a rod, (1, which is attached at its opposite end to an arm, 6, projecting from a shaft, f, supported in bearings at the side of one of the rails, and a shaft, 9, extends from this shaft across the main line in such position that it will be struck by the larger balls passing upon said line. As the arm 9 is carried in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, the rod (2 will be drawn back in the direction of its arrow, Fig. 1, and the rods b c are brought to an angle to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the rail B will sink under the weight of the ball, which will then pass along the main track. After the ball has passed from contact with the rail B the latter will rise to the position shown in Fig. 2, and

the arms I) 0 will be brought into line and sup port the rail 13 in its elevated position, so that ing the movable rail, and that the latter, in-

stead of swinging on apivot,may rise and fall vertically.

Without limiting ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown,

' we claim- 1. The combination, with the continuous track of a railway, of a vertically-adjustable rail constituting a continuation of the branch track, and extending between the point and the rail of the main track, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a railway,of a main track, a branch track, a fixed rail constituting a part of one of the tracks to make the latter an unbroken track, and a movable rail constituting part of the other track, crossing the fixed rail, and capable of adjustment to bring its upper edge above that of the fixed rail, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a railway turn-out, of a continuous track and a branch track provided with a movable rail crossing the inner rail of the continuous track, and capable of vertical adjustment to bring its edge above or below that of the said inner rail, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the continuous track, branchtrack, and movable rail constituting a part of the branch track, counterbalanced sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the continuous track,

branch track, and movable rail constituting part of the branch track, notched for the passage of the inner rail of the continuous track and verticallyadjustable, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the continuous track, branch track, and pivoted, notched,and counterbalanced rail constituting part of the branch track, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the continuous track, branch track, and vertically movable rail of one of the tracks,of a movable arm extending over the main track, and connections between the arm and the movable rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, in a store-service railway, of a continuous track, a branch track, a movable rail constituting a part of one of the tracks, and connections between the rail and an arm arranged adjacent to the main track, to be struck by graduated carriers thereon, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, in a railway turn-out, of a vertically-movable rail crossing the inner fixed rail of one of the tracks,an arm arranged adjacent to the track, to be struck by graduated carriers thereon, and connections, substantially as described, whereby the movement of the said arm alters the vertical positionof the movable rail, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, with the main track and branch track, of a fixed rail, A, constituting a continuation of one of the tracks, and

a movable rail, B constituting a continuation of the other track,and vertically adjustable to bring its edge above or below that of the rail A, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to. this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses:

WILLIAM H. WIGGIN. FRANK L. WIGGIN. Witnesses:

A. 'S. DAVIS, ISAAC FITTs. 

